…and both had their own stage setups (hence the two entertainment venues mentioned earlier)…

…but that safe was on the Schroeder side…

…and people started to cram into it…

…even to the point that we all took pictures and video of just how many there were of us in such a small space.

Maybe it was like the Flats, after all!

Now is probably a good time to give you some background on this safe.

It’s 130 years old and hadn’t been opened for more than 60 years, thanks to the pre-1973 owner forgetting the combination. The owner from 1973-2005 tried to open the safe a few times unsuccessfully and then, eventually, a wall must have hidden it from view.In 2007, when the flood came through, it destroyed the interior of the building, the wall was removed and – WALLA! – the safe was rediscovered...

…but still not opened.

When 6 o’clock finally came, the owner and the safe cracker had the crowd step back…

.

…so that the safe cracking could begin.

Although the safe cracker was equipped with a drill (just in case), it only took 12 minutes and seven attempted combinations…

.

.

…before the door swung open.

.

People crowded around and yelled to each other that the interior didn’t contain the treasures some had expected, but it wasn’t completely empty…

…there were bank receipts from 1953, notes and empty jewelry boxes.

There was also, if you look to the upper left of the next pic…

.

…a second safe…

…but they decided to open that one at another time.

Although the safe’s discoveries weren’t amazing, I felt my patience was eventually rewarded shortly after hopping in the car and heading east.